Large scale solutions that regenerate the climate and nature, people and societies need science and technology, good policy, business skills and massive ESG investments. The development and scaling of regenerative solutions also benefits from the deep inspiration of fundamental human values whether they are secular or religious. They are shared by billions around the world and reinforce other motivations for sustainable economic development.

In this new Solutions Initiative we intentionally reach out to religious institutions and communities of diverse faiths that share our values and visions for a new economic mainstream. We collaborate with existing initiatives that around the world pursue shared goals and work closely with diverse religious communities that are often not yet included in secular transformation initiatives.

Because agriculture is the world’s largest ‘employer’ and regenerative farming offers the most scalable opportunity for regional economic development and food security, carbon sequestration and biodiversity, we focus on reaching millions of farmers in villages around the world to support them to improve their income and living conditions by adopting more productive and regenerative farming methodologies.

We are developing tool kits for new forms of farming that can be applied by farmers of all literacy levels who only have access to simple farming tools. Their willingness to experiment with new ways of farming depends especially on trust. Farmers typically trust other farmers and their religious leaders. We are therefore developing a coalition of successful farmers and religious leaders who combine their capacities and access to rural populations.

The objective is to help develop thriving local farming communities that produce food for local consumption and potentially also food and other agrarian products for the national economy and international export. This approach to large-scale regenerative farming can also reduce the plight of forced economic migration, which creates tremendous suffering.

For example, countless, especially younger generation Africans, are forced to migrate towards Europe. This forces people to leave their homes and tears families apart. Many migrants get stuck in Libya’s fast growing slave markets. If they make it through Libya, they have a good chance to drown in the Mediterranean. If they make it across the sea or the land, they get stuck in refugee camps in unwelcoming states, where they strengthen populist political parties that deteriorate democracies.

If we want to end this vicious cycle, we need to support Africans to create financially and otherwise sustainable local economies. Local religious leaders and communities can play a major role in achieving this. This Solutions Initiative will contribute to the ability of local communities to develop their own solutions in agriculture and beyond.

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